1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to musical instruments and, more specifically, to the manufacture of a layer for a the top surface of a solid body guitar comprised of an array of juxtapositioned linear lenses wherein each lens resides over a portion of one or more images that are formed in such a manner that changing the viewing angle of the lenses changes the image. The lenticular top is bonded to the top surface of the guitar body having aperture for the placement of guitar hardware.
The present invention forms a permanent lenticular guitar top covering the front surface of an electric guitar or an electric bass guitar. The lenticular guitar top is installed in place of the common wooden guitar tops typically made from flame maple, curly maple, koa, etc. The lenticular guitar top is permanently bound to the body of the guitar using glue or other such bonding material. The lenticular guitar top gives the guitar a very unique and dynamic appearance because of the various 3-D or multiple flip images available with lenticulars, as well as the unique rigid surface of the lenticular lens itself. The lenticular guitar top covers the entire top surface of the guitar except where cut out to allow for the guitar's hardware such as the bridge, pickup, volume and tone knobs.
2. Description of the Prior Art
There are other materials designed for guitar cases. Typical of these is U.S. Pat. No. 2,305,890 issued to Moore on Dec. 22, 1942.
Another patent was issued to Parker on May 17, 1966 as U.S. Pat. No. 3,251,258. Yet another U.S. Pat. No. 4,073,612 was issued to Nitta on Feb. 14, 1978 and still yet another was issued on Dec. 7, 1982 to Kelly as U.S. Pat. No. 4,362,079.
Another patent was issued to Wilson, et al. on Feb. 15, 1983 as U.S. Pat. No. 4,373,417. Yet another U.S. Pat. No. 4,601,391 was issued to Gibbs, et al. on Jul. 22, 1986. Another was issued to Sica on May 21, 1996 as U.S. Pat. No. 5,517,891 and still yet another was issued on Dec. 7, 1993 to Othon as U.S. Pat. No. 5,267,499.
Another patent was issued to 5,850,913 on Dec. 22, 1998 as U.S. Pat. No. 5,850,913. Yet another U.S. Pat. No. 6,262,354 was issued to Solomon, Jr. on Jul. 17, 2001. Another was issued to Gelardi, et al. on Mar. 19, 2002 as U.S. Pat. No. 6,357,153. Still yet another was issued on Jul. 23, 2002 to Demetz as U.S. Pat. No. 6,422,859. Another patent was issued to Matos on Apr. 15, 2003 as U.S. Pat. No. 6,549,503 and yet another WIPO Publication No. WO 02/051611 was filed by Guest on Jul. 4, 2002.